Skip to main content
The largest online newspaper archive
A Publisher Extra® Newspaper

The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 18

Publication:
The Guardiani
Location:
London, Greater London, England
Issue Date:
Page:
18
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

18 THE MANCHESTER GUARDIAN WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16 1957 5 IPgWEHKl THE TRIUMPH OF THE VANWALL rpHIS has been Britain's year in motor racing. At last a British driver in a British car has won not just one but three Grand Prix races, and although Juan Fangio, of the Argentine, driving for the Italian firm of Maserati, is again world champion, the triple success of Stirling Moss in the Vanwall has proved beyond doubt that Britain now has a racing car worthy of her outstanding young drivers. Between them Fangio and Moss have won all seven major Grand Prix races. Fangio won four and Moss three, and but for Moss's illness in the middle of the season the position might have been reversed. The achievement of Vanwall is a tribute not only to the great skill and courage of Moss but also to the patience and determination of the owner of the car, Mr Tony Vandervell.

The season began in January with the Argentine Grand Prix. won before a vast crowd of his fellow-countrymen, and the ease of his victory suggested that he had been right to forsake Ferrari to lead the Maserati team. This, said some people, was going to be Maserati's year. Moss had already signed for Vanwall but as they had entered no car he drove a Maserati similar to Fangio's. The ill-luck which dogged him for the first half of the season made itself felt at the start.

As he left the starting line his throttle snapped and he spent fifteen minutes in the pits. After this he had no hope of winning the race, but he drove faster than anyone else, harrying Fangio for miles and eventually passing him. This achievement of clipping second after second off his lap time was to characterise his racing later in the season. Vanwalls were ready for the second race of the season, the Monaco Grand Prix in May, with two cars driven by Moss and Tony Brooks. Fangio drove the fastest lap in practice but Moss led at the start of the race itself.

On the third lap his brakes locked as he entered the chicane and he crashed into the barrier. Peter Collins and Mike Hawthorn, who were following in Ferraris, ran into the back of him, but Fangio and Brooks slipped past safely. They remained first and second to the end of the race, and Brooks's Vanwall ran beautifully. That, at least, was a comforting sign, and to cap Brooks's performance Fangio observed that he had all the signs of a future world champion. Moss's ill-luck clung to him for the third race of the season, the French Grand Prix at Rouen.

Vanwalls had two cars, and a practice machine ready, but Moss arrived in the city ill, with a temperature of 104 and every indication of sun-stroke and sinus trouble. He vas flown home before the race. With Brooks also absent because of an injury at Le Mans, the two Vanwalls were driven by Stuart Lewis-Evans and Roy Sah'adori. Once more Fungio won almost unchallenged, and both the Vanwalls dropped out with mechanical trouble. When the teams gathered at Aintree in July for the European and British Grand Prix, the pessimists were saying that Moss had made a mistake in choosing to drive a British car.

Moss confounded them by up the fastest time practice, and Fangio found himself in the second row of the starting grid. Moss led for the first 60 miles of the race but just when it seemed that nothing could catch him he came into the pits with fuel pump trouble. Brooks, who had not fully recovered from his accident at Le places on the starting grid filled by Vanwalls, and the green cars played with the Italian opposition. Brooks and Lewis-Evans each had a turn in the lead, though both were also forced to stop at the pits. Moss eventually built up such a lead that he had time to sto'p at the pits for a change of rear wheels and a precautionary check-over before driving calmly to victory.

It was a fitting end to the season, confirming Moss's position as second in the championship table and assuring Mr Vandervell, on his birthday, that he had at last produced a British car fit to stand up to any in the world. Mans, was called in to give his car to Moss, and the latter set'off half a lap behind the leaders. This was his moment of greatness. Faster and faster he went, making full use of the Vanwall's superb acceleration, and driving the car to its limits. The opposition fell to bits in its efforts to hold him oil, and after breaking the lap record four times he was once more in the lead.

Soon he was far enough ahead to stop for fuel, and still drive to victory the first British driver to win a classic motor race in a British car since Sir Henry Segravc won the French Grand Prix in a Sunbeam in 1023. Fangio had been eclipsed at Aintree but he was still to prove his personal supremacy. His opportunity came in the German Grand at Nurburg-nng. JThe suspension of the Vanwalls was unsuitable for the circuit and the cars "juddered" on the corners, though Moss managed to hold fifth position. Fangio was driving perhaps better than ever before.

He broke the lap record with a regularity that left the spectators gasping. He clipped the corners with a dexterity reminiscent of the great Nuvolari. But he had to stop for fuel, and when he set off again Collins and Hawthorn were in the lead. Remorselessly Fangio closed up on them. The Ferrari mechanics shrieked at the two young English drivers to go faster and they did their best to obey, passing and repassing each other.

On the final lap Fangio forced his way past Collirs on the north curve, but Collins overtook him a few seconds later. Fai gio rushed past him again on the next curve, mounting the grass in his haste, and his spinning wheels threw a stone, into Collins's face, smashing his goggles. Collins hurled the stone away and drove on. It was to no avail. Fangio passed Hawthorn almost in sight of the line and won by 3.6 seconds world champion beyond dispute.

The remainder of the season belonged to the Vanwalls and to Moss. Try as he might, Fangio could do nothing at Pescara or Monza to catch Moss. At Pescara Moss led for seventeen of the eighteen laps, broke the lap record, and finished more than three seconds ahead of Fangio. At Monza the Italian crowd, which not so many years before had jeered at the British cars, found the first three The pictures show Mr Tony Vandervell with Moss and Brooks after (he Vanwall success at Aintree the three Vanwalls on the front row of the grid at Monza Moss at the wheel of the Vanwall Fangio calmly leading the German Grand Prix and Hawthorn and Collins driving Ferraris in the same German race EVENING OH THE KINGSTON BY-PASS PHOTOGRAPH BY ROGER WOOD I.G.I. the RfioSof Show First Floor AVENUE A Paints Division As the foremost supplier of painting materials to the motor industry for over thirty years, Paints Division will present its range of 'Belco', 'Dulux' and 'Hilux' car finishes.

It was the introduction of 'Belco' in (925 that helped to speed up car painting processes. Through its close co-operation with the industry, backed by unflagging research and development work, Paints Division is maintaining its leadership in quality and service. First Floor AVENUE A 20 Leatherclolh Division 'Vynide', an attractive and durable fabric available in many exclusive and original designs, will be featured. Not only resistant to soiling and staining, 'Vynide' is also very easy to clean sound reasons why leading car manufacturers use 'Vynide' for seat upholstery, panelling and headlining, as well as for collapsible hoods and covers. Other products of interest to be shown include 'Novon', 'Splendex', 'Rexina' and a range of car trimmings.

First Floor AVENUE 3 7 Marston Excelsior Ltd. Radiators and replacement blocks for fine quality cars will be shown by Marston's. As leading specialists in the fabrication of light alloy metals, they will be showing light-weight radiators specially designed for sports and racing cars. The highest standards of design, based on years of specialist experience, are represented in all these Marston products, which are renowned for their utmost efficiency and outstanding reliability. Imperial Chemical Industries Limited, London, S.W.I Further Information from.

Get access to Newspapers.com

  • The largest online newspaper archive
  • 300+ newspapers from the 1700's - 2000's
  • Millions of additional pages added every month

Publisher Extra® Newspapers

  • Exclusive licensed content from premium publishers like the The Guardian
  • Archives through last month
  • Continually updated

About The Guardian Archive

Pages Available:
1,153,931
Years Available:
1821-2024